The State of Qatar on the 11th of July, instituted proceedings against the United Arab Emirates at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), with regard to alleged violations of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination,1965 (hereinafter the “CERD”), to which both States are parties. Qatar invoked the ICJ’s jurisdiction under Article 36, paragraph 1, of the Statute of the Court and Article 22 of the CERD.

Qatar contended that the UAE has enacted and implemented a series of discriminatory measures directed at Qataris based expressly on their national origin [that] remain in effect to this day, resulting in alleged human rights violations. According to Qatar, on and following 5 June 2017, the UAE expelled all Qataris within its borders; prohibited them from entering or passing through the UAE; closed UAE airspace and seaports to Qatar and Qataris; interfered with the rights of Qataris who own property in the UAE; limited the rights of Qataris to any speech deemed to be in support of or opposed to the actions against Qatar; and shut down the local offices of Al Jazeera Media Network, and blocked the transmission of Al Jazeera and other Qatari media outlets. Qatar claims that those measures interfere with a number of rights, including the right to marriage and choice of spouse, result in violations of the rights to freedom of opinion and expression, the right to education and the right to work, and impact the rights of Qataris to own property and enjoy equal treatment before tribunals.

Picture via Aljazeera

Brief Background:

The 2017–18 Qatar diplomatic crisis began when several countries abruptly cut off diplomatic relations with Qatar in June 2017. These countries included Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt, which imposed a “land, sea, and air blockade” on Qatar. Several other countries withdrew diplomats or downgraded diplomatic relations.

The Saudi-led coalition cited Qatar’s alleged support for terrorism as the main reason for their actions, insisting that Qatar has violated a 2014 agreement with the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Saudi Arabia and other countries have criticized Al Jazeera and Qatar’s relations with Iran. Qatar claims that it has assisted the United States in the War on Terror and the ongoing military intervention against ISIL.

Initial supply disruptions were mitigated by additional imports from Iran and Turkey, and Qatar did not agree to any of the Saudi-led coalition’s demands. The demands included breaking ties with Iran, stopping military coordination with Turkey, and closing Al-Jazeera.

The Press Release with respect to the Application filed by Qatar can be found HERE.